


Dean Winchester Ask me about…

by TheAuthorGod



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Accountant Castiel, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dean uses his nametag like tumblr uses tags, Grocer Dean, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-21
Updated: 2015-09-21
Packaged: 2018-04-22 16:50:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4843013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAuthorGod/pseuds/TheAuthorGod
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The grocers' nametags have little conversation starters like 'Ask me about my dog' or 'Ask me about hockey'.  Dean takes them to a whole new level.  Cas likes the conversations that they spur probably more than Dean's manager.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dean Winchester Ask me about…

**Author's Note:**

  * For [whelvenwings](https://archiveofourown.org/users/whelvenwings/gifts).



> HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EMILY!!!
> 
> UNBETA'D. UNPROOF'D. UNEDIT'D. Story is mine; characters are not.

It was kind of wrong for Castiel to pick the line with the cute cashier; but, he had a bad day at work. One of his team of accountants had screwed up an audit on one of the accounts and he’d needed to clean it up as manager and lead. His day had grown much longer than ever intended. So, screw him he wanted to be wrung up by the cute one.  
  
He placed his items on the conveyer. A few packs of frozen vegetables, some steak dinners, and a nice bottle of wine joined the baby food and diapers from the couple ahead of him. They were smiling more at each other and the woman’s big belly than giving the cashier or bag boy any mind.  
  
The whole reason that Cas picked the line was to ogle the cashier; so, when his turn came up, he planned to quietly admire him. He looked over his uniform; the guy’s shirt wasn’t tucked in and he was wearing more wrist bands than we strictly necessary. Cas read his nametag ‘Dean Winchester Ask me about religion’.  
  
Castiel pulled his eyebrows together and Dean began to ring up his items.  
  
“Religion?”  
  
“Wha-?” Dean paused holding a bag of frozen broccoli. After a moment, he hissed and let the bag go. He rubbed his hands together. “Well, that was cold.”  
  
Castiel smirked. “That tends to happen when one holds something that recently came out of a freezer.”  
  
Laughing, Dean swiped the next thing over the scanner. “You talk funny.” His grin revealed perfectly straight teeth and his eyes were light too. He was young.  
  
“And you’re avoiding my question.” Cas moved up to the credit card reader and leaned on the little counter piece there. “So, religion?” He flicked his eyes to Dean’s nametag and up again.  
  
Shaking his head, Dean looked over the wheel of fresh produce codes. “Yeah, I, uh, did know why they were asking me to provide the topic.” He leaned forward. “The girl was a devout Baptist; I was trying to flirt with her.”  
  
Castiel nodded. “Sounds about right. I still hold you to the question. What do you think about religion?”  
  
Looking over the frozen dinners, Dean looked up seeming to gauge how serious Castiel was. When he realized Castiel was as serious as a preacher, his eyes flickered to the bag boy who shrugged. Dean slid his eyes back to Castiel. “I don’t really buy into it to be honest.” He winced.  
  
“Really? None at all. There are a lot of religions. You must believe something.” Castiel looked over to the bag boy; his nametag said ‘Benjamin Lafitte Ask me about cooking’. Castiel made a note to do that when he needs cooking advice.  
  
Dean looked over the wine bottle. His eyebrows rose up and he turned it around to give Castiel a questioning look.  
  
“I had a bad day.” Castiel looked away. His eyes strayed to the candy; he was reminded of his brother and his sweet tooth.  
  
Silence settled while Dean typed into the register. “You’re total is $36.73.” He licked his lips while Castiel fished out his credit card. “My mom always said angels were watching over me. I guess, I believed that for a while. I dunno, you stop believing in things when everything goes wrong.”  
  
Castiel nodded and took his bags. “Well, for what it’s worth, this has been the first thing to go right for me today. Have a good day, Dean. Benny.” And he left.  
  
\---  
  
The next time Castiel went to the grocery store, he had to buy more than just a few nights of food. He ended up with a cart full of eggs and milk and green beans. When he approached the checkout lines, he was put out that Dean wasn’t at any of the registers; but, he noticed Benny and went over.  
  
“Hi, Benny.” Castiel began to unload his cart onto the conveyer belt.  
  
Tapping the keys quickly, Benny looked over at Castiel and smiled. “Hey, Brother. How are you?” He started to ring things up.  
  
Castiel hefted a box of kitty litter onto the belt and grunted. “Well. How about yourself?” He sighed before also hefting the bag of cat food up.  
  
“I can’t complain.” He swiped a few more things before raising a hand into the air. “Hey, Dean, get over here and bag will, ya?”  
  
Hearing him instead of seeing him, Castiel was still a little giddy to know that Dean was there.  
  
“Dude, you know my break – oh.” Dean strode over to the bag and paused at the sight of Castiel. “Hey, uh,” Dean grimaced, “I actually don’t know your name.” He turned red and leaned against the end of the register kiosk.  
  
Castiel froze. “It’s Castiel. Wow, I was rude.” He nodded to Benny then to Dean. “My apologies.” Glancing down, he noticed that Dean’s nametag had changed, ‘Dean Winchester Ask me about my car’. Blinking a few times, Castiel blindly set cans of fruit and vegetables on the belt. “So, you have a new nametag. Was religion not working out?”  
  
Barking out a laugh, Dean probably shook the few sodas that Castiel was purchasing. “An old Catholic lady asked me about it and was really upset when I didn’t believe in it. My manager had to make me a new one.”  
  
When Benny picked up the 24-count box of frozen burgers and shook it at him, he donned an amused smile. “Getting ready for an apocalypse?”  
  
“No.” Castiel pulled his eyes away from Dean’s smiling, freckled face to Benny. “I don’t really like shopping, too many people trying to get the same things. But, I like burgers.”  
  
“Too bad, I was hoping to see you every week like the damn soccer moms who always try to pinch my ass.” Dean double-bagged the cans and orange juice.  
  
Benny rolled his eyes. “He likes the attention.”  
  
There was a moment of silence while Castiel thought of the women and their hands near Dean. He wasn’t sure how to respond to that; so, he didn’t. “So, your nametag says to ask about your car, now. I feel obligated to ask now. Your car, Dean?” He moved up to the counter and card reader again and waited for Dean to reply.  
  
The slew groceries going in Dean’s direction had him heaving bags full of cans into the cart. His triceps made fun shapes every time he lifted a new one. “I have a beautiful car.”  
  
“Among other things I would say.” Castiel said it before he could stop himself. At that, he definitely looked away from Dean’s body. He was somewhat disgusted with himself; wondering if he had to put himself in the ‘soccer mom’ category. At least he wasn’t touching. Castiel looked up toward Benny first but saw that he was smirking toward Dean.  
  
Dean swallowed and blushed. “My, uh, my car’s a 1967 Chevy Impala, a real beaut. She shines; and, under the hood, she’s just as beautiful as the day she came of the production line.”  
  
Nodding along, Castiel managed to move the tug his wallet from his suit pocket.  
  
“$113.98.” Benny keyed into the machine so that Cas could swipe the card.  
  
Swiping the card, Castiel flicked his eyes back to a now recovered Dean. “You must take good care of her.”  
  
“Dude, you called my baby a ‘her’; nobody does that.” Dean’s face split into a grin as he bagged the last of the groceries.  
  
Cas nodded; he moved to the handle on the cart and began to push it away. “It’s important to use the right pronouns.” He gave a little wave to both of them. “Have a good day.”  
  
“Have a good one, brother.”  
  
“You too, Cas.”  
  
Cas grinned at the use of the nickname.  
  
\---  
  
Yeah, okay, Cas needed to get some friends; but, he didn’t have any so he ended up at the grocery store looking for Dean and Benny and ice cream.  
  
His mother was coming to town to visit him for his birthday; and, he needed a pick-me-up before she arrived. He bought a vat of lemon-flavored ice cream and waited in line with it in his hands.  
  
When he handed it over to be scanned, he rubbed his hand together and blew warm air over them. It had been a line longer than he was used to on a Tuesday night after work.  
  
“That’s what happens when one holds something that recently came out of a freezer.” Dean sing-songed the words back at Cas and grinned.  
  
Cas sagged against the kiosk. “My mother is coming to town.”  
  
“Oh.” Dean didn’t tap on the keys; instead, he leaned forward into Cas’ space. “Then are you sure it’s enough.”  
  
“No. She’s a bit crazy. I’ll probably be in getting more by tomorrow.” He laughed dry.  
  
Dean tapped Cas’ shoulder then tapped his vest near his nametag, which was different. It read ‘Dean Winchester Ask me about my brother’.  
  
Cas flicked his eyes up to Dean’s. They were close enough that he could see all the faint freckles between the dark ones. “Is your brother crazy, Dean?”  
  
“Oh, I’m glad you asked, Cas. Why yes he is. He tries to feed me vegetables.”  
  
“The horror.” But, Cas laughed and that was probably the goal.  
  
Nodding, Dean smirked in a conspiratorial manner. “It is. He says that burgers and fries aren’t healthy enough.”  
  
“Sounds like my mother.” Cas stood up straight and took a deep breath. “I guess, I’ll see you tomorrow.” He pulled out his card and poised to swipe it.  
  
Dean keyed into the machine. “My brother’s name is Sam. What’s your mother’s name?”  
  
Blinking at the question, Cas found it somewhat weird to continue the conversation.  
  
Shrugging, Dean gestured around. “I think you’re the last person in the store. I’ll be all alone with my coworkers if you leave.”  
  
Cas glanced around then at his ice cream. “It’ll melt.”  
  
“Oh,” Dean looked put out at the response but seemed to acknowledge the truth, “you’re probably right.”  
  
Feeling a tug in his gut, something like hope since Dean seemed to want to spend time with him, Cas sighed. He had nowhere to be; an empty apartment was all that awaited him. “Do you have any spoons?”  
  
Smiling, Dean nodded. “Yeah, in the break room.”  
  
They talked a lot that evening. Dean would have to get up and help customers. By the end, what was left of the ice cream was liquid. They said their good-byes at the end of Dean’s shift and Dean drove off in his beautiful car and Cas watched after the tail lights.  
  
\---  
  
It continued like that. Sometimes Benny was in their conversation; sometimes he wasn’t. Dean liked it when Cas came to buy groceries. Cas found himself looking for reasons to go to the store. Once, he even made an emergency run for potpourri.  
  
Dean got a different nametag all the time; sometimes Cas was disappointed when he returned before Dean got a new tag line. A few of his favorites were ‘Dean Winchester Ask me about my half-brother’ and ‘Dean Winchester Ask me about Gay Marriage’.  
  
For all that Dean seemed to really like the ladies and their attention, it would seem that he partied for over a week when gay marriage was made legal. That had given Cas a lot of hope in this, rekindled the romantic aspect of his interest in Dean.  
  
Cas was in to get some more frozen meals for what was going to be another long week of long days at the office. He was one of the youngest managers of the accountants; and, he was beginning to see why no one else wanted the position.  
  
He was almost too tired to read Dean’s nametag, ‘Dean Winchester Ask me out’.  
  
Dean seemed to notice that Cas was tired and didn’t say anything; instead, he smiled soft and rang up Cas’ meals in silence. He didn’t make a big thing over his nametag; so, Cas didn’t either. It was probably for someone else.  
  
Then Cas took his bags and left.  
  
\---  
  
Castiel ended up in there the next day for paper plates; he didn’t want to do dishes that week. He knew that Dean didn’t work that night but that Benny did. Still tired, Cas went through the motions without talking.  
  
He swiped his card and looked up to offer Benny a grateful smile.  
  
Benny looked pointedly down at his nametag. Benny had always been the more down to earth between he and Dean; so, his nametag had never changed. Cas tuned his gaze into the nametag, ‘Benjamin Lafitte He meant you, dumbass’.  
  
Heart freezing then racing then freezing again, Cas stood there until the woman behind him ‘accidentally’ hit him with her cart.  
  
Cas left with a smile on his face.  
  
\---  
  
Cas waited patiently in line. He put the bar on the conveyer then began to unload his basket. He put the pack of steaks on the belt then the potatoes then the pack of beer. He smiled at the set.  
  
When he reached the register, Dean grinned. “You planning something special tonight?”  
  
“I am.” A corner of Cas’ mouth quirked. He bit his lip for a moment. “I’m hoping to have someone special over.”  
  
Dean’s eye flickered, the light there dimmed a little; but, he smiled wide. “Good for you man; I’m proud of ya.” He turned the wheel for the code for carrots.  
  
That day, Dean’s nametag said ‘Dean Winchester Ask me about pie’. Cas smiled at how relevant it was to his mission. “I wasn’t sure what kind of dessert to get.”  
  
Swagger filling in the crevices in his demeanor, Dean smirked. “Well, you can’t go wrong with pie.” He tapped his nametag.  
  
“Good. Perhaps you could pick one out and come around at about 6, after your shift ends?” Cas swallowed the fear in his throat.  
  
Benny slowed his bagging until he came to a stop. He looked between the two of them.  
  
Dropping the frozen vegetables on the scanner, Dean rubbed his hands together to thaw them; but, his mouth still hung open. “You’re asking me to dinner. With you.”  
  
“Yes. If you want.” Cas ran his fingers through the candy, fiddling with a heath bar or something at hand height.  
  
Dean smiled.  
  
\---  
  
From then on, Dean didn’t change his nametag. He liked working at the store; he was a good people person and worked his way up to district then region manager. He insisted on wearing his nametag. For a while it was ‘Dean Winchester Ask me about my boyfriend’ but then it was ‘Dean Winchester Ask me about my husband’.

**Author's Note:**

> me: [cockleddean](cockleddean.tumblr.com)


End file.
